Venus Headlines against Freedoms Tonight at 7PM
July 25, 2019 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release
Washington Kastles doubles star Kaitlyn Christian
(Washington Kastles, Credit: Abby Van Ess)
WTT legend and 23-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams will headline Washington's pen-ultimate home match of the season against Billie Jean King's Philadelphia Freedoms. The 2018 WTT finalist Freedoms are currently in second place in the race to the 2019 Finals, a half-match behind the defending WTT champs Springfield Lasers.
In her first match at the new Kastles Stadium on Union Market, Williams will take on Freedoms slugger and 2018 Female MVP Taylor Townsend. Williams is a Kastles legend. In her 13 season of WTT, she led the franchise to three championship titles, and in 2012, was named WTT Finals MVP. Townsend has been virtually unstoppable for Philly over the last two years. She went undefeated in singles in the regular season and has only lost one singles set this season.
In women's doubles, Williams will team up with Kastles all-star and 2018 Wimbledon mixed doubles champion Nicole Melichar, who will return to the Kastles lineup for the first time this season, after sustaining an injury in the quarterfinals at the All England Club attempting to defend her title. The duo will face Townsend and former top-10 doubles star Raquel Atawo, another WTT powerhouse. Returning for her seventh season of competition, Atawo was on the 2012 Kastles champion team with Williams.
In mixed doubles, Melichar will pair up with five-time Grand Slam doubles champ and current world doubles #7 Bruno Soares, who know each other's games very well. The pair reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and French Open, and memorably defeated Serena Williams and Andy Murray in the round of 16 at Wimbledon, this year in mixed doubles. The Kastles will likely face Atawo and French doubles star Fabrice Marin in DC. The Freedoms pair are in the top-10 league leaders in mixed doubles.
Also in the lineup, new Kastle Yoshi Nishioka is expected to play Freedoms rookie and French former world #22 Adrian Mannarino in men's singles. The pair will also meet in men's doubles with Nishioka and Soares partnering against Mannarino and Martin.
VS.
SET-BY-SET PROJECTIONS:
MS - Y. Nishioka (WAS) vs. A. Mannarino (PHL)
WD - N. Melichar/V. Williams (WAS) vs. T. Townsend/R. Atawo (PHL)
MXD - B. Soares/N. Melichar (WAS) vs. F. Martin/R. Atawo (PHL)
MD - B. Soares/Y. Nishioka (WAS) vs. F. Martin/A. Mannarino (PHL)
WS - V. Williams (WAS) vs. T. Townsend (PHL)
Images from this story
World TeamTennis Stories from July 25, 2019
- July 21 Match (Philadelphia at Vegas) Earns Record Television Viewing Audience in WTT's Television Debut on CBS - WTT
- Taylor Townsend, Serving Freedom for Past Six Years - Philadelphia Freedoms
- Venus Headlines against Freedoms Tonight at 7PM - Washington Kastles
- Empire Earn Key Road Win in Race for Playoffs - Orange County Breakers
- Springfield Lasers Feel Better After Win against San Diego Aviators - Springfield Lasers
- New York Empire Prevail in Thrilling Match against Orange County Breakers, 20-19 - New York Empire
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